Jesus Cropped from the Picture

The Traditional Method

were influencing American culture, resulting in a newmix of American Christianity, where biblical (Rational) truth was slowly being perceived as a “product” that would be good for the individual. As business language become more common in the culture, Christians began talking about their faith in business terms. For example, Americans’ view of the Bible was gradually transforming into an authoritative consumer owner’s manual to help the individual Christian. As a result, American Christianity was morphing into an in- dividualized and rational pursuit of Bible knowledge and personal ethics, made possible by Jesus’ death on the cross (for personal salvation) . Even the sacraments focused on the individual (rather than on Christ’s victory over the powers of evil). Baptism was no longer a renunciation of loyalty from one kingdom to another Kingdom, but increasingly a public acknowledgment of Jesus’ work for personal salvation . Communion’s purposes narrowed to a remembrance of the cross (for personal salvation) . The celebrations of Jesus’ many past, present, and future triumphs on the Church’s behalf was disappearing. Therefore, many Traditionals believed they simply needed to grow in their knowledge of the Bible (Rationalism) and live a moral life in grateful response to Jesus’ substitutionary work on the cross (Individualism). None of this was wrong, but it reduced the Christian faith in a way it had never been reduced before. Because of these cultural assumptions, one Traditional recently summarized his faith as adherence to “revealed truth, doctrine that is to be believed, moral norms that should be followed, and church life in which participation is expected.” 74

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